NAA: We're Not That Different At All
by Kathryn Christine Starcrafter
Summary: Sonic pays a visit to Elise on Valentine's day while Shadow is reunited with Maria. Ivo develops a plot around this and the two hedgehogs find common ground. Shadria/Sonise
1. Too Many Valentines

- **DISCLAIMER** -

Sonic the Hedgehog and all related characters/themes © SEGA and/or Sonic Team.

'The New Age Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog' © Kathryn Christine Starcrafter/Lumorean Arts.

- **WE'RE NOT THAT DIFFERENT AT ALL** -

Part I: Too Many Valentines

Darkness. For many the night was a time for quiet solace, peace and serenity. Of course, for others the night brought fear. Fear in the form of monsters hiding in once vacant corners. The predators of young children. For some these monsters were no phantasm. They were the last of their kind to remain on the hunt. One could believe they were perhaps alone and afraid. No, he knew better. These things were on their last leg. Without their Master they had no one to direct and restrain their malice. As such, they sought the one individual who could. Unfortunately, the individual they had deemed as their savior wanted nothing to do with his people.

The anthro ducked in and out of his namesake, zigzaging through trees devoid of foliage. One would think that the light of the moon and stars would aid in this fight. But these things that ran him were nothing more than the pure essence of shadow. They could blend into the tiniest speck of blackness and appear to vanish. Still, their prodigy could sense them, could feel their loveless claws carve down his legs and arms. The frigid spring wind numbed to the bone, labored breath streaming from nostrils and mouth like an enraged dragon. The jets soldiered into his mech-shoes gave off the only heat, marking his trek with duel rows of residual steam.

Shadow jutted into a silver clearing where visibility was better. Here, if those things were desperate, their prey would be able to physically see them instead of having to relay on nerves. He spun to a stop, skidding to face the path he had just trespassed. They hissed and screeched in protest just beyond the wooden boundary, their lightless forms flitting in and out of sight.

One shifted across the grass like a snake, shooting into the air on the left. Taunt and ready, the Ultimate Life Form generated a spear of caustic chaos and used it as an elemental weapon against his foes. Using it as a staff, it's pure essence easily cut down any insubstantial foe. But these things never made it easy. The darkness inbred in them assured a trying kill.

Shadow tore the weapon across the abdomen of the creature and it dissipated with the wind. In its place manifested twins who, with little a touch, tore through fur and flesh. Streaks of copper streamed down both legs in moon-silver scars. Shadow responded by slicing haphazardly, the pain botching any possible aim. Sight blurred by the cold and made dizzy with fatigue certainly hindered more than helped. Sensing an opening, all others of the hidden troop followed their brethren. Their intentions were to weaken their Chosen One, force him into a state of openness. Only in this form would they succeed.

But no, the being born of blood and chaos and machine would never be a slave again. It had taken far too long to arrive at the status he was current. He was far too close to granting his own eternal wish. Far too close to risk giving it all away. As such, his tactics became more desperate. The Shadows blotted the very light of the stars and moon, meshing into one eternal sphere of malice. The thing formed countless writhing tentacles in order to constrict and engulf prey.

The hedgehog dodged and parried, severing large sections of the mass. Still, every slight contact cut like a razor, allowing the purity of the early night's dew to mingle with that of freshly splattered blood. Inevitably, ebony became crimson and fatigue began to set further. An opening, so minuscule that only a multi-eyed enigma could pinpoint. A serpentine spear slithered through muscle and bone and pierced heart and lung. Its slimy grasp, though not of any physical substance, could still be felt wiggling and twisting in euphoric victory.

Shadow collapsed on numb knees, his weapon dissipating. Weightlessness, the single-minded behemoth rose its prey into the frigid air. More tentacles emerged to constrict and bind, ensuring victory. Still, the diminutive figure would not give in, never to these things. There was a last resort, but if just one of the shades remained...

Tears cut blistering streams across his muzzle. The anthrope, heart giving way, let out an eardrum shattering scream. The Shadows shuddered, sensing the overflow of elemental fury. Something wasn't right. A thing so small couldn't contain that much energy. Oh how it burned and stung! It seeped into every invisible pore and tore apart the very molecules that held the alien coagulant together.

Shadow, half alive, tapped into this forbidden force of his unwanted heritage. With nothing left to lose he loosed the last strands of chaos embedded in his flesh, every last particle, till his own being felt torn to shreds. Muscles blistered and lungs collapsed. It ended in silence and light.

The night was calm but for the rustling of the wind through the trees. It was February, a special month on a special day. It was hard to believe that this was their second Valentines together. Had it really been over two years? Well, at least this time around there was way less awkwardness.

Sonic perched silently on the veranda's rail, hoping to surprise his love. He opened the door of her balcony with a tentative _click_ , the movement tasseling her silk curtains as gently as a passing breeze, peering into her bedroom. Everything remained draped in a dusting of moonlight, but no life. Tiptoeing inside the heated expanse, the hedgehog insured at least he was alone before attempting to locate her.

"Elise? You in here?"

Her giggle came first. "I have a surprise for you. Lay in bed and close your eyes."

Sonic smirked and retreated only to make sure his escape was locked. Guessing where this was going he removed his clothing in the process and laid the bundle on the other side of her nightstand. There he noticed splashes of color and exotic scents that spiced the space around her bed. They were the gifts he had showered her with randomly throughout the day. Her favorite, flowers. The hedgehog vaulted onto the mattress and rolled onto his quills as giddy as a teenager.

"Alright, I'm ready."

The young adult emerged from her walk-in closet across the room. He could hear the rolling of a wood plank on a track and then her bare feet slap across the tile as she made her way to him. As impatient as he was known, the blue blur lifted an eye lid ever so slightly but she caught him.

"No peeking!" Elise sung.

He snapped it shut, unsatisfied with just a glimpse of her ivory bath robe. Damn, she knew him too well! Her weight dipped a corner of the bed as she, all too slowly, made her way up to him. Her hips rested below his and his fur perked, resisting the urge to grab her and pull that sensual body onto him. The slip of fabric against skin told him she was taking off that cover of hers, meaning he could try and sneak another peak. Of course, she had to pull something new.

The weight of her chest pressed into him and her succulent lips cut any thought short. They moaned together, enjoy the intimacy made forbidden practically by law. His bare paws ran down her side, the silky heat of her skin giving him chills. Eventually, his claws slipped under a strap of lace and his heart skipped upon knowing his assumptions had been correct.

"Can I look yet?" Sonic asked once they parted for air.

Her weight lifted from him and his excitement returned, but she denied him still. "Just a little longer. There's something else."

Elise shifted a little, most likely over to the bedside table. There was some clunking and scuffling as if she was fiddling with a drawer, then the rustling of paper. A musky-sweet scent mingling with the flora made him drool. This was getting exciting. She came down on him again and her lips tasted of cocoa. His parted by her tongue and she slipped a truffle into his mouth. They played with it together and the heat between them eventually melted the succulent shell and released a bitter-sweet puree of raspberries and liqueur.

Sonic moaned in surprise, not really expecting that. She giggled a little as her weight lifted up again. Emerald irises finally graced a dazzling face half splashed in starlight. She still held some residual powder on her lips and her ember locks curved that playful face of hers perfectly. Taring sight away from those deep-sea irises, she finally allowed him to look.

Elise had apparently got herself a hold of something she was hoping he would like. She had never been given a reason to own anything 'sexy' as she never had anyone she was particularly into, a guy she was intimate with. Truthfully, she didn't know if he was into this sort of thing anyway -if it would turn him on. Soft draperies of silk flowed from beneath her breast attached to a nearly see-through bra, somehow the same hue as his fur. Across the waist hugged similarly schemed panties, his tense nails gripping just beneath the straps.

Sonic purred in response, his prize worth the wait. Out of the corner of his eye he also glanced an open box of chocolates, one already missing. Moaning softly again, he lifted himself the short distance to nuzzle into the crook of her ivory neck, nipping her salty flesh tenderly across her collarbone and shoulder. Removing one paw from her hip, he stretching it into the box of chocolates and retrieving one. He released his prey, instead taking the decadent candy in his teeth and presenting it to her this time around. Elise laughed playfully, falling into her lover and back on the bed.

Lost it in the passionate moment, everything around them was unknown. Everything including a harsh knocking on her bedroom door. Another session of increased ferocity finally separated the two, sight now turned to the far end of the room. Elise began to rise and re-robe.

Sonic growled in annoyance. "Don't answer it..."

"But, it could be Winter." She made her way to the entrance, thinking it to be their adopted 'daughter.'

"The little dragon'll survive. Since when does she knock, anyway? Usually, she's attempting to burrow her way in. Elise..."

But she unlocked the door despite his persistence. It pulled in merely an inch before being shot wide by the figure on the other side. Sonic leapt with a start and bolted for the hidden corner of her wall, beyond the door's hall. Elise yelped and took a step back as a gallant man bent inward, presenting a bouquet of colorful, spicy smelling roses.

"Well hello, my Princess."

Her face screwed up with a mix of disgust and surprise. "Ah, Conner, what are you doing?"

"Why, coming to see my lovely Valentine of course."

"Since when am I your Valentine? I thought you had enough of me and wanted back home to Adabat?"

"Oh nonsense! Why would you think that?"

"Because that's exactly what you said!"

She swore this man was bipolar. He was another of her father's suitors. The Emperor knew damn well that she loved Sonic but the man had such a hatred for him. As such, he still invited all kinds of men to the manor in the hopes that she would be attracted to one of them. Thankfully, some of them were nice and understanding, which did make her feel bad. Then there were the persistent ones that couldn't take a hint and wouldn't go away. Conner was exactly that. And now he had the nerve to go up into her room!

"Please leave."

"That's it? I come all the way here and you give me the cold shoulder?"

"Now."

He took a step closer and she became more alert, thankful that if he did try something Sonic was still present and aware.

Conner glimpsed a swatch of lace laying delicately across her shoulder. "Seems to me my Princess was expecting something tonight." He smirked, wiggling his perfectly trim eyebrows.

Elise's eyes widened in shock and went for the door, eager to get him out. "Leave!"

But his weight was solid and prevented any actual movement. He shot towards her and she yipped in surprise. Of course, Sonic immediately sensed the situation and bolted out from his cover. However, what he saw was a surprise in itself. He had expected to see the guy having a hold of her, but instead he was holding his own leaking nose. Elise clutched her hand, both having a look of utter bewilderment. Eventually, her assailant came out of his trance, releasing his member and then clutching it again when rivers of carmine ran fiercer. His expression became even more shrewd when his sight finally fixed on Sonic.

"What in the Abyss is that?"

"I told you to leave," Elise stuttered, breathlessly.

"So that's it, then?" He laughed sharply, wincing after doing so. "You're screwing a furry!"

Classy... Sonic's facade shifted sharply to that of ferocity. He was quite defensive over, not only himself, but his mate as well. He utterly despised people like this. There was no reason to be so inconsiderate and nasty. He was just pissed that Elise clocked him a good one. Sonic didn't grace him with any kind of response.

Conner shifted to stand upright, teetering off balance for a moment, attempting to regain any lost strands if dignity. He didn't even say anything else as he staggered out and down the hall. Once he was out of sight, Elise bend down and retrieved the roses he had tossed aside when he had lunged at her.

"Guess I shouldn't have answered the door, huh?" She attempted to uplift the mood.

Sonic chuckled lightly, holding her elbow as she rose to a stand. "Well, at least those won't go to waste."

Elise grinned softly at the comment, breathing in their silky fragrance. He closed and locked her door while she placed the bundle on her mantle on the other side of the room. Afterwords, the two retreated to bed, eager to get back to where they had left off.

 _Shadow... Shadow! Please, wake up! Please..._

A voice? Why was it so distant calling out to him? Why? What had he done now? The Ultimate Life Form shifted slightly and a sharp pain ran up his hip and spine. Obviously, he stopped and lay perfectly still, letting the annoyance pass. It must have just been a hallucination. He felt so drained. At least the Shadows were gone, or just that he couldn't sense them anywhere near. Shadow Robotnik remained where he had fallen, the dew -or was it blood- wetting his underside. He shivered a little and even that hurt.

 _Please, please wake up. Please don't die._

Now he most definitely heard that. Bronze irises bolted open, surveying nothing. He must not have been out all that long. As far as he could tell it was still night, only difference was this nasty fog. It was freezing and glowing? Well that certainly was new. He watched it shift for a little bit but not really going anywhere. For some reason a thought came to him and he gently reached up to touch it. How strange, it actually felt semi-solid instead of moist. Stroking it further, he could almost feel definition. He must have been more disoriented than he had first realized.

 _Shadow!_

Fully alert again from the ethereal voice, blurry vision darted in and out of focus. Apparently, that frigid cloud actually was something. It was his sight that was the problem. Lines began to solidify somewhat, something reached up and he could have sworn it wrapped around his paw. Ever so slowly, but with determination, the anthro attempted to rise to a seated position. He kept on blinking, hoping eventually he could see whatever it was. At least it wasn't malicious in any way. In fact, it felt comforting, loving. Wait, it felt familiar. No, it couldn't be...

"Maria?" he croaked.

 _Shadow..._

As if that was all it took, it formed faster till a humanoid image could clearly be discerned. She was so pale and cold but still striking colors shown through. His fingers swam through fluttering strands of golden thread, her own wispy members wrapping his. A pair of cerulean orbs, like flawless ice, watched him intently with fear and sadness. His remaining paw reached up to grip her mournful face.

"It can't be... I've finally... I've finally found you, my Light." He whispered sweetly, heart giddy with euphoria, pain nearly forgotten.

She floated down, laying across his body like a frozen blanket, feather-light. His paws guided her down onto his lips, hers all but lifeless. He pressed her in as close as possible, moaning as they practically melded into one another. Love, he could feel it again, something that had been vacant from his life for far too long.

When they parted she whispered, _You can finally hear me, see me!_

For a second her figure pulsed with heat and the pain inside of him began to subside. He could hardly feel her, though. He wished beyond anything that she was solid. Maybe, it was best that she wasn't. Any attempt to ravish her would cause more pain than pleasure at the moment. Still, he couldn't help the endless grin that practically cramped his chin. Had he really lost that much energy?

Maria could sense his stress, though he tried to hide it. _Go back to sleep. I promise I'll be here. I know how to do things, I can try and heal you._

"No, wait. I have to say this. I can't let you go just yet." He was practically on the brink of breaking down into tears. "I am so sorry. I never meant for any of it to happen. You... I wasn't worth your sacrifice. You deserved so much more. I love you so much. All I've ever wanted was for you to be happy, wherever you are. That's all I wanted to say. I'm sorry. I'm so very sorry. I'll release you from the crystal so you can-

 _No!_ Her voice was a lot more shrill than she would have liked. _No... Nonononono. I don't want to go back to that. I want to stay with you._ He pulled her close, sensing her distress. _I don't want to fade away._

He didn't question. If she wanted to stay with him he was more than happy to oblige. Instead he just pressed her misty form on top of him and held her the same way he would have over sixty years ago, as if nothing had changed. For some reason she began to warm, her energy extending to every digit with an ecstatic tingle. He fell back into darkness soon after.

Silently like a staking predator, he watched his prey with a satisfying grin. His theory had been proven correct. For nearly three years that brazen black and red vermin had toted around this odd gemstone that had no known origin. His first suspicion was that it was a Soul Stone, and that had been just proved true. However, he had not anticipated just how significant the thing was to its wielder. Somehow, Shadow was able to attract a single soul out of the billions upon billions that made up Möbius' ley-lines. A soul that had been dead for six decades, mind you. Not an easy feat to accomplish by any means.

And, of course, out of all the souls he was able to attract it had to be Maria. Ivo gave a sharp laugh. Maybe he should feel something? She was his relative after all. Well, honestly he didn't feel any positive bonds with anyone anymore -unless they presented him gain. Even though she shared the name and bloodline she meant little else.

Instead, her existence promised something else entirely. Of the Chaos Emeralds there was only seven. The Master Emerald was a powerful resonator connected directly with them. But she... She was a Chaos Emerald with no restraint. She had no limiting bonds, no siphon holding her back. Her energy was currently limitless and forever growing. A true source of perpetual energy. He had to have her, and she was ripe for the taking.

His dreams were filled heat and light, His mind a slur of darkness streaked with saturated colors of aqua and cream. Content did little to describe the sensation. It was beyond contentedness, a bliss so pure he could have fallen into a torpor for years without realizing it. Suddenly, like the shattering of a pane of glass, a scream shocked him back down into consciousness.

 _Shadow!_

The hedgehog shot up and immediately regretted it. Residual shards bolted down his hips and arms, realizing all too bitterly that something wasn't right. He felt utterly alone, which was a feeling he had to admit he hadn't felt since he was first released from stasis. As such, his very first instinct was to reach for the Adhyatman containing Maria's soul. He always kept it wrapped around his left wrist, the jewel itself hidden in his Ring. It wasn't there... And, neither were they, for that matter.

He nearly had a heat attack, his chest giving in to fear. He had only just reached her! How? Who? Where? He shot up as fast as his crippled body allowed. Reaching out with what remained of his aura to try and locate her like he used to do. Whenever she was in distress he could sense her. He hoped this situation was no different. He forced himself to relax and concentrate, sifting the surrounding foliage for his Power Suppressors. After only a brief span, in the distance something triggered a strong burst of her emotional trauma. Which, sadly, was exactly what he needed.

- **AUTHOR'S NOTES-**

This is a Shadria and Sonelise fic. You have been warning! Though in all honesty for those who know me this isn't much of a surprise.

This is an NAA fic.

This is rated M for reasons...

The servants of Black Doom in NAA are refereed to as Shadows. They are not so much the alien creatures from the game as energy beings made from said substance. I know a lot of people from the fandom like to think Maria was the one who gave Shadow his name. In NAA, it actually was Gerald. Black Doom had given him an ominous statement when leaving for the first time after giving his blood and one of Dolby's souls that he stole. From that message Shadow got his name.

The Adhyatman was given to Shadow when he met Dolby, his soul parent. Dolby made it from the ring Shadow gave Maria and the only remnant he found of her on the ARK when he was awoken fifty year after she was killed.

Winter premiered in the fic 'Grandmother Winter'. Sonic befriends an elder dragon who perishes in the end. He does retrieve her Dracontias, which hatches into Winter. Winter then stays with Elise and is eventually treated as their first child and Violet's older sister.


	2. Moonlight Heat

- **DISCLAIMER** -

Sonic the Hedgehog and all related characters/themes © SEGA and/or Sonic Team.

'The New Age Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog' © Kathryn Christine Starcrafter/Lumorean Arts.

- **AUTHOR'S NOTES-**

This is an extra/bonus chapter occurring after part 1. I wanted to include Sonic and Elise's intimate moment in such a way that it wouldn't seem forced or intrusive. As such, this chapter can be skipped if wanted.

I'm actually more guilty than people think of writing these. I used to do so a lot back on my account at Media Minor. Still do every so often.

Sonic and Elise are very experimental. They enjoy trying new things to see how they work for them.

- **WE'RE NOT THAT DIFFERENT AT ALL** -

Part I.V: Moonlight Heat

Elise laid on her back and Sonic crawled up to her, kissing her stomach and breast and neck along the way. She giggled as his soft caresses at times tickled. He took her bruised hand and licked her knuckles tenderly. Small actions like that only reaffirmed the love he had for her and she for him. Sometimes she wondered why people thought of their love as wrong. He wasn't a mindless beast. He knew exactly what he was doing, he knew exactly what it was doing to her.

She cupped his cheek as he continued to kiss her palm lovingly. Taking his face in her grasp, Elise lead him up and interlocked his lips with hers. They moaned together, becoming one and returning back into the moment. Sonic broke the trance, realizing just then that the chocolates were getting to his head. He reached into the box and took another one, sharing it with her. He realized a bit too late that he hadn't been entirely paying attention to his mate's hands. Something rubbed gingerly between his legs and his eyes grew wide. The other culprit wrapped around his waist. Compared to himself, her limbs were longer and able to keep him right where she wanted him. Not like he was going anywhere anyway.

It was this little ploy for dominance that he thoroughly enjoyed. Between them it didn't matter who had control, only the mutual love given and received. He growled and shifted ever so slightly. In response his lover arched herself, giving him free play with the succulent skin across her neck and shoulder. His paws wrapped around her chest and fiddled with the clasp of her lingerie. Thankfully, it was incredibly easy to disconnect. Shifting again and her top half was free to him.

The anthrope began his assault, taking one breast in his paw and the other to his mouth. While he contently nipped her, Elise took her time with him. Her fingers rolled along his velvety balls and pressed into his sheath, stroking along its length with the heel of her palm. The head of his member began to peek through, flushed and moist. Just the thought of it and the way he continued to mold her soft body made her all the more ready and eager. She continued to work him till it was out in the open, swaying freely. A couple hot drops of pre fell onto her stomach and she knew he was almost ready.

Without warning she flipped them. Sonic yelped upon being forced back on his spine like before. She grinned over him, both their heads swimming. She grabbed another chocolate and they continued their play more fierce than before. Her hand fell back to place between his thighs, his at her breast. Their last treat exhausted, Elise trailed her sensual kisses along his body. She took her time nipping and sucking at his chest and stomach. Sonic sighed longingly as her cascading digits came up just a little higher and gripped his hardening shaft.

She began stroking him purposefully and in response he began to growl, almost as though purring. He loved it when she did that. Her hand and fingers rolled along in measured synchronicity. In the darkness all was silent safe their mingling voices. Elise's head soon met his abdomen and her tepid lips kissed the sensitive skin of his cock. He purred even louder, panting. Then she began to suck on him. It wasn't a full oral, though she sometimes did pleasure him that way. Instead, it was like planting hickeys up and down till he was hard and throbbing and practically begging. She knew how to work him very well. It was all up to her whether and when he finally was allowed release, and he ravished every second. In his life everything had to be fast. But not this. This was never allowed to be instantaneous gratification.

Sonic drew in a sharp breath and arched, biting his lower lip to keep himself from calling out as she struck a sweet spot. Even as his body convulsed in ecstasy she still continued to stroke him until he was hissing in submission. His heated seed splattered onto his chest, some even dripping into his open mouth and tongue. Without thinking, head still diluted, he wound up swallowing some. Its slick, sticky flavor curled his stomach and he immediately rolled on his side, head over the bed as his diaphragm began to do back-flips. He didn't wind up barfing though, that would have certainly been a mood killer. Instead, he forced himself to relax, drooling profusely. He had just ate semen -his own semen.

Elise came over and wrapped her arm around his hips lovingly. "Are you okay?" Concern quieted her voice.

"Yeah." He ceased the moment. "Now it's your turn!"

Sonic spun and pounced on top of her, grinning like the horny fool he was. He immediately started at his woman's stomach, biting her with his sharp, little teeth. She giggled and wiggled under him like she always did when he played with her there. The bottom half of her lingerie still remained. He would rectify that. The hedgehog slipped his nails between her legs and felt over how moist and ready she was already. Removing himself, he started to relieve her of that silken covering. He took a deep breath of her scent and his spines perked and shivered, member stiffening for round two.

He dropped straight into her ravenously, more than earning his fill. Elise shivered as his long, rough tongue stroked hard against her vulva and slipped deep inside. Her taste was always the best experience for him, even clearing the last bit of nausea he felt. Elise curled her body against him, spindly fingers combing through his quills and pressing his muzzle further into her. Her legs parted to allow him as much access as he wanted. His flexible member massaged her smooth g-spot, teeth catching her clitoris every so often.

"Sonic..." She whispered her name as her entire body shivered and clenched on him.

Sonic got a full blast of her flavor then, which immediately he lapped up. She fell back into bed with a flop, panting all the way. The anthrope removed himself and licked his lips, thirst quenched. He drove his tongue up and along her body until into perfect position. The petal-shaped head of his member slipped against her and wriggled to find its way in, which wasn't hard at all. Both of them were more than ready to go again.

They hummed together when he finally slipped inside. She tightened around him as he expanded her. They started slow and purposeful, gaining rhythm every second until into a full rut. The air around their little bubble became thick and heavy, mingling with the twined scents of their lovemaking. He lifted her hips, entering deeper and deeper with each thrust. It was a trial keeping their voices low. Not like anyone could walk in on them, but still it would be a task to explain the noise.

It didn't take long before they both were at their peak. Neither would last much longer. With the last of his strength Sonic lifted his mate against his chest and came as deeply as he could inside of her. He held her tight as both their bodies shook in euphoria. Elise clutched him as if for dear life, staring lovingly into his emerald irises as wave after wave tore through her body. His seed filled her with pressure and heat, dripping down her legs and onto the sheets. His strength finally gave and he lowered her down into bed. He laid on top her, panting heavily. Inside of his lover he could still feel the last of their oneness fading.

While they remained connected he contented himself by sucking on her stomach. Beneath him she stretched and cooed. He made his way back up her body, member slipping out smoothly and releasing her with a sensual _pop_. Sonic appeared above her with a smile and she wrapped him in her embrace for a final kiss. Both their heads were swimming with exhaustion and alcohol. She rolled with him and they curled into each other on their side. He nuzzled into her neck with one last bit of love. In response she purred for him, cuddling him in close before fading into a warm, dreamless sleep.


	3. The Jewel and the Genius

- **DISCLAIMER** -

Sonic the Hedgehog and all related characters/themes © SEGA and/or Sonic Team.

'The New Age Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog' © Kathryn Christine Starcrafter/Lumorean Arts.

- **WE'RE NOT THAT DIFFERENT AT ALL** -

Part II: The Jewel and the Genius

Sonic shifted a little but found himself constrained. Unperturbed, he remained there for a little while longer, absorbed in the embrace of his lover. In response, Elise unconsciously pulled him closer, fingers swimming through quills of cobalt. The anthrope smiled at her tender strokes, knowing full well the depth of her care. Little aches and pains from a long night's sleep told him neither of them must have moved at all from where they now lay. As such, he kind-of had to now.

One benefit of being smaller than his mate was that it was quite easy to slip out of her grasp without being felt. His weight wiggled beneath her thick, spring covers and his feet landed silently upon the slick and frigid tiles. He stretched out as far as he could, spines prickling as stiff joints popped back into place. As silently as possible, he tiptoed towards the balcony, parting the delicate drapery to reveal the citrus sun and all its glory. In the distance Soleanna was bustling with morning traffic. For whatever reason his sight shifted towards the sky whipped gingerly with clouds. His ears caught the deep drum of a plane engine though his eyes couldn't pin-point it. Instead his attention was drawn by a soft yawn.

"Please, don't leave yet."

A grin warmed him from ear to toe and he couldn't help but turn around and head back. "Why would I leave? It's not like I have somewhere better to be."

Elise giggled where she lay observing him, still droopy with sleep. He turned and sat on the edge of the bed. Her body lifted from the covers, soft breasts pressing into his back as her arms scarfed his hips lovingly. She shifted to curl against him, chin alighting on his shoulder.

"Nowhere more important?"

"Of course not!"

In response he playfully leaned back into her and she yipped in surprise. Tangled in sheets and limbs, it was hard to figure out what belonged to whom. Somehow it was the hedgehog who won the scuffle, clutching his lover's stomach against his hips and nipping her shoulder blade. She leaned against him, relishing when he became a little frisky.

"Did you enjoy your valentine?"

"Listen," his heated breath sent goosebumps down the back of her neck, "I don't know what kind of filling those chocolates had but we've got to do the same thing next year."

Ivo was practically giddy. He hadn't felt this much excitement since his successful invasion of Forest-Down. He paced back and forth across from an upright cylinder. Beneath its thick titanoglass pulsed a golden heart. The jewel was like perfectly grown amber, cut to form a double diamond. Every once in a while he could tell she let off some kind of distress signal, apparently attempting to locate her 'owner.'

"You really shouldn't be so persistent. Do you want to lead Shadow to his certain death?" The man mocked.

 _Let me go!_ Her pleading, fearful voice was muffled by her sealed cage.

"Hardly a valid argument. I wonder if he knew this might happen? Possibly not. He didn't think you'd still be willing to stay beside him."

 _What? Why would he..._ Her voice trailed off into silence.

"Anyway, with you now in my care I am one step closer to perfecting artificial Soul Stones. That, and you make really good bait."

From within the prodigious hub a figure, black and fluid as ink, watched from upon an upper cat-walk. It always amused her how things seemed to come full circle for the aging scientist. She remembered, years ago, when he had began to attempt recreating said jewels. The prototypes had cost the lives of hundreds of dumb animals. It's really too bad that the majority of them didn't survive. The casing was far too frail and easily shattered. Maybe, for once the old man was learning something. Use a Soul Stone to make a Soul Stone and actually fill it with something useful -the life energy of humans and anthropes.

Ivo gave a startled yelp as something manifested not but a foot at his side. "Oh, Fate forbid, what are you still doing here?"

"Remember when you used to love seeing me?"

The bio-android cocked her head to her shoulder, ebony locks flowing like strands of starry silk. Created by a master genetic engineer, the hybrid anthrope was a suave, manipulative mastermind that at times had made even the great Machine King jealous. She was a mutated thing comprised of three separate strands of DNA. Though, for the most part she looked like an arctic fox, a thick reptilian tale flecked in oily scales leading to a pair of draconic wings and feet suggested otherwise.

Amethyst irises greedily surveyed the captured soul in calculative thought. "So, you have a little doll trapped in a stone. What are your plans? Maybe, kill a couple birds with it?"

"Oh, shut up, Oasis. If I wanted your two-cents I'd ask for it."

"Our bargain has almost ended. I thought I'd be generous and lend a final claw to a once friend."

"Where are you even getting this 'agreement' from? You did your part years ago. Now leave me be!"

Oasis shrugged nonchalantly. "Fine, fine."

"Besides..."

Her gaze shifted towards his just in time to catch a venomous sneer.

"Great minds often think far too much alike."

He pressed a large button that rested on a stand right where he had stopped his stalking. The cylinder melted down and the jewel was exposed to the world. He reached a gnarled hand inward and grasped Maria, pulling her off of her pedestal. She screamed, releasing a large burst of collected aura. Ivo yelped and dropped her to clatter at his feet, hand searing.

"You little bitch! You're lucky I need you or you'd be shattered into a million pieces!"

Oasis rolled her eyes, scooping up the Soul Stone by its intricate chain. "Perhaps, that's why she has a leash."

"Give me that!" He swiped the object from her and stomped off.

She let him vanish along a side corridor, too much like a child having a tantrum. He must be heading off towards the Replicator, a machine that had put more use into collecting dust as of late. Still, you could make as many of the jewels as you wanted but you needed souls for them. Mayhaps, that was a byproduct of stealing Maria? Shadow had surly sensed by now her location. Now, what about Sonic? He was Ivo's primary quill in the side. It was clear that the insane scientist had long since forgotten their contract but she hadn't. It was because of said arrangement that her record was tarnished. Finally, here was the perfect chance to wipe the slate clean.

It was around mid afternoon and the air remained relatively frigid. Being beside the ocean didn't help, either. Even though the day for lovers was officially over with, there were some couples who spent any time they could get by each-other's side. Sonic and Elise were no different. For the most part, the citizens of the sea-side capital who knew the situation kept to their own, or just didn't care. This was nice because it meant the two were not often bothered when going about together. There were still those that snickered behind their backs or made off-handed comments. The two didn't let it get to them. It was their lives and they would live them to the full extent of happiness.

They were trying to find a nice place to have lunch when a red flash erupted above the swirling gray cloud layer. A few seconds later, instead of the snow that was threatening to come, shrapnel rattled down on the confused citizens below. Sonic and Elise, among others, stopped and stared as metal bolts and wiring clattered around them. Craters formed in the white-stone walk as larger pieces of machinery careened through like meteorites. Eventually, the downpour stopped and all were left in stunned awe.

The two glanced to one another, sharing the same unspoken thought. Out of the nimbostratus shot a streak of neon-orange lightning that struck the top of a nearby spire. Even from this distance both could clearly make out its definition. The cause was an anthrope, black as coal with burning streaks of carmine.

"Huh, what's Shadow doing here?"

Elise's focus remained on the littered streets, fidgeting with the overlong sleeve of her sweater. "Do you think Dr. Robotnik could be somewhere near?"

Sonic followed her gaze to the scattered robotic innards. "That or he just found a cluster of the old geezer's mechs slinking about."

"Maybe you should go see if he needs help."

"Nah. Trust me he's fine. Besides, this was supposed to be our private day together."

The look she gave him he could only describe as being eerily similar to the one Shadow displayed when Sonic had reach the limitations of his rival's patients.

"Alright, alright! But, I guarantee he's gonna be pissed at me."

Elise watched him jut off with a hidden smile. She knew she wasn't forcing him to do anything he didn't want to. There was also another, more selfish reason. If Dr. Robotnik was anywhere near her country she wanted him gone.

"He really is such an amazing individual, isn't he?"

The princess glanced down to her side, finding an ebony and ivory anthrope watching her mate as he effortlessly scaled the tower's stone walls. While she didn't recognize her, something instinctual told her that this creature was no friend. Perhaps it was just in the way she held herself, oddly passive considering the circumstances. Why was she so familiar?

"I'm sorry, do I know you?"

"Not really, dear. But Sonic does." It was then that Elise felt something prick the back of her shoulder. "He knows me very well..."

Fear gave her an adrenaline rush as she attempted to call out. But, hardly a wheeze escaped her throat before the cobblestone rushed at her from below. A holobot caught her abdomen before the collision, hoisting her like a lifeless rag-doll onto its shoulder. Oasis nodded approvingly.

"Hm, that went a lot easier than originally contrived. Well, perhaps things may go smoothly for me for once. This is such a good sign!" She slapped her paws once in mock cheer.

The bio-android turned back from whence she had come, a transport pad laying in wait. Her robotic servant followed with unconscious girl in tow. Once the two had stepped aboard a metallic shell re-furled over them, generating a reflective shield in such a way that light appeared to pass right through the more than solid sphere. Essentially, it made itself and anything within invisible to the naked eye.

When the cobalt hedgehog arrived on the scene his counterpart still remained as still as a gargoyle, clutched to the sharpened parapet.

"Hey, Shad. How's it hangin'?"

"Get away from me." Shadow hissed, never removing his gaze from some unseen thing.

"Jeez, is that any way to treat an old friend?"

"We're not friends."

"Hey, it wasn't like I wanted to do this."

Shadow rolled his eyes. "Look, unless you can tell me where Ivo is I really don't want any of your asinine assistance."

"Ivo? Why?"

"Really, it's not any business of yours, but-" his vision shifted to peer at something over the blue blur's shoulder. "Sonic!"

The call startled him a second, though he knew that it wasn't meant in spite. Sonic's sight followed, witnessing the lifeless form of Elise being hauled away by one of Ivo's mechanizations, lead by Oasis. He called out her name in panic, vaulting from the tower with Shadow in tow. For once in his life the manifestation of the wind had been too slow. Oasis and the bot stepped up onto some kind of platform, the resulting pressure caused the disk to float up and out of reach. A shell unfurled, covering its passengers in some kind of reflective material. Forced to watch the craft dissipate into nothing, Sonic feared the worst. He slid to a halt, jaw clenched and shaking.

Shadow skated past. "Follow me!"

He didn't question, knowing that his counterpart had a weird connection with some people and things, like the Chaos Emeralds. Simply put, he could sense auras and energies. Maybe that's what he was following. For a second Sonic wondered who -or what- it was Shadow was tuned to. He had never even answered why he was after Ivo in the first place.

From the see-through platform Oasis glanced down to her feet and watched as two colored streaks weaved their way through the vastly undeveloped wilderness. For a second the question as to how the two were able to follow her came to mind. She brushed it off. Possibly, it was just coincidence, as neither one knew of Ivo's location or could keep tabs on an invisible ship. Aside from that, neither could fly and Shadow had lost the only means of activating his elemental chaos. This actually presented a slight flaw in her plan.

The floating craft pierced the stormy nimbus, ascending into the blue beyond. From above, its garnet hull gleamed beautifully, the sun illuminating every battle scar and armament. Her saucer continued its ascent to where a circular entrance unfurled like a blossoming rose. The platform docked perfectly in the opening, the shell unfurling to the caustic odor of sulfur and gasoline that watered eyes and dug into nostrils.

Oasis and her metal companion stepped forward, heels clicking like tap shoes against the Doom Carrier's hollow belly. She paused a moment and turned to her saucer with a thought. Shadow and Sonic needed to be on the ship for the proper end result. Well, Shadow was a bonus. Sonic, though, was the prize in mind. That was why Elise was needed. Even so, she, herself, was an added bonus.

The mutant reached into her pocket and took out a special remote. Small, like a key-fob, it only played host to two buttons, one red and the other blue.

Turning to the holobot that still held her hostage, Oasis said: "Take her into the Replicator Room and make her comfy. I'll be up in to two shakes of a willow's tail."

The mindless contraption did what it was told. Afterwords, the fox-bat turned back to the massive hull before her. The belly of the beast was vacant down its middle. Its sides and ceiling told an opposite story. Ivo was always ready for any opposition, any chance he could invade. Now-a-days, he worked on few of his creations with his own hands. Most were mass produced by robots themselves, leading to a soulless, easily controlled thing. This was the reason why Ivo's continued interest in artificial Chaos Emeralds intrigued her. Had he found a way to suppress the sentient soul inside? She would see...

Off to the side, aligned all neat and proper, sat a nice little specimen. It was an untested prototype that Machine King had hoped to give a test run. Well, why not oblige? With remote from before in paw, Oasis delicately pressed the blue button. The contraption's holographic eyes sparkled over in emerald static. Obediently it raised from its curled haunches, lifting its bulbous head overtaken by massive jowls. The bronze reptoid towered near ten feet, its artificial hide scaled over in veins of molten gold. Its tiny arms were useless, there only for aesthetic purposed. This dino-mech was the first in a line of a rather new-ish batch. Supposedly, Dr. Robotnik was keeping them all stowed away for some greater purpose.

"Come along, sweety."

The lumbering mech followed obediently, heavy joints clicking with every step. It easily mounted the saucer currently secured to the floor without fear. Her remote, mentally linked to her vastly superior brainwaves, activated the invisibility shell to engulf the beast above. What a surprise they would have! It wasn't as if she was just going to give them a lift, free of charge. For a few seconds she remained to watch the sphere descend beyond the gray, counting over the steps of the plan in her head. That prototype wouldn't kill them, but it would certainly give them a run for their money.

The world was spinning and fuzzy, fading in and out in a blur. Was she moving? Standing? Sitting? Elise hissed as the back of her head hit something cold and metallic. A normal reaction would have been for her to fall forward but something halted an unsteady decent. A frigid coil gripped her neck like a choker, effectively pinning the rest of her till immobile. The young empress had to blink a few times to clear the fog induced by whatever drug still lingering in her system.

Chest burning with adrenaline, she tried desperately to shake herself out of the torpor. All of a sudden, sound became muffled. It was like being thrust underwater but still able to breath. Clarity intensified as Elise realized that she was indeed sitting, wrists and ankles bound the same as her neck. Vision remained opaque, as if she had been shoved inside of a glass tank like some kind of perverse trophy. A grayish blob was fading away and then vanished all together. At that moment she truly felt alone in the world.

The silence was deafening, her own heart the only source of comfort. She couldn't recall how long it took before something new happened. By that point the drug had fully worn off. Her head wasn't floating up in the clouds anymore and she could see fine, other than what the warped glass cylinder provided. She was completely immobile though, and that was what stressed her the most. She was an elemental but, unlike Blaze, she had very little offensive control over her powers. Put simply, she couldn't burn her way out of this situation.

Oasis entered the Replicator Room as casually and unconcerned as ever. Compared to the rest of the facility this room was small but it only served so much of a purpose at the time. Perhaps, if he could actually use the artificial products maybe this section would be expanded. For now, however, the majority of it was taken by a heavy, rectangular machine with thick piping keeping it in place. One end held a conveyor belt, recently used. Apparently Ivo had only just left, the metal still warm. On the opposite end a catch bucket glittered enticingly. He hadn't even taken the Soul Stones that Maria's confinement had made into existence from seemingly nothing.

The walls told another story. There were restraining devices ranging from cages to clasps to chairs, each placed in a cylindrical tube constructed of the same mineral used in manufacturing said stones. At the base of each, one of the products could be inserted and the Extractor would send a lethally strong bolt of energy through the skull of the living occupant. Afterward, with the aura having no escape due to the Demibrilliant's properties, the machine would direct all the aura released into the empty crystal, effectively trapping the soul without any means of escape.

The suave anthrope walked past the Replicator, swiping up one of its products in the process. She brought herself before the only filled tube along the row. Inside, a young woman looked down, her expression nearly unreadable. Fear? Curiosity? Sorrow? Who knew? But the more traumatic the experience supposedly the more energy the soul inside of the stone could output in a single sitting. That, and its sentience would be diminished severely. Meaning, the soul inside would put up little resistance when having its spirit drained for selfish purposes. The best way to find out you were wrong was to at least try something once. A lesson Ivo had learned over and over again. In his case, persistence paid off.

"Well, my lovely, it looks like our time together is almost at its end."

"What do you want from me?" Elise visibly shook.

Oasis slipped the stone into the prison's perfectly shaped slot. "Oh, just your soul. Nothing fancy."

"My soul?"

"If you want to get cruel, I could say I'm going to kill you. But don't worry. It will be quite quick and painless. It needs to be in order to get all of you together again in one piece. More or less I assume painless. Never had a chance to inquire otherwise. It won't even be messy."

The artificial anthrope watched for any kind of change in demeanor. Nothing. Other than the shaking this girl appeared otherwise a statue. The stone's insertion should have been the automatic trigger. Curious but, then again, these particular machines were over two decades aged. Honestly, it was a miracle the replicator worked. This room had been left to rust and it showed.

Oasis turned her sight back up to Elise and in that moment the young empress realized who she was. Since she was a baby Elise had been connected to Solaris, her country's Immortal Lord. He was the god of the sun, but also of the future. As such, most of the children in her line were cursed with prophetic dreams and flashes -more so than his element of fire. She was no different.

When the anthrope had lifted her gaze Elise had seen one of those flashes, a revision of a dream a few years past. A bloody battleground, machine and flesh mingling in unholy ways. A facade twisted in torment...

"Please, don't do this. Dr. Robotnik is going to betray you. He's going to take you and turn you into a machine. Don't help him."

The bio-android tilted her head quizzically. The lie didn't seem too far fetched. The scientist had often threatened to roboticize his once friend. She often wondered if the man ever did consider her a friend. Possibly once, before the madness took him. She smirked cruelly, if he had that may have been the catalysis to his mental deterioration.

"Oh, don't worry about me, hun. Even if Ivo's lovely contraption isn't working it's not going to stop you from your destiny, one way or another. So, I guess for now I have to leave you here to set up other business. Who knows, Sonic should be up in a bit. You may get lucky."

Elise's eyes followed the fox as she exited with a backhanded wave. Utterly helpless, she couldn't even turn her head. What would happen if the machine did wake? She would die... She had to try something, anything. There had to be some way to get out of this!

The madman known as Machine King stalked across one of the many holding bays along the outer hull. It was within these prodigious pods that he kept particular accomplishment. These were his pride and joy, forged by his own two hands and tuned to be unique and powerful killing machines. Most, if not all, required a much more potent source of energy. Namely, a Chaos Emerald. That was the intention for the little jewel that hung down from his fist.

It had been a pleasant surprise when the Replicator actually worked. Now he had a nice, new pile of Soul Jewels in need of filling. He wouldn't use Flickies this time, that lesson had been learned. At the sound of his heavily booted footfalls the massive chamber ahead lit from the endless ceiling in blinding beams of off-white florescence. At the end of the line rested a cobalt mech sprayed in a waterfall of shifted soot and sulfur.

Ivo stepped off to a side platform. It detached from the walkway and hovered up and along the machine's girth. The pad halted its ascent at a section which would have been the creature's chest cavity. In its place was a gaping hole revealing thick electrical veins and piping. Deeper within rested a glass-like core from which endless cords and wires protruded and crawled throughout the whole of the contraption's body.

 _No, please don't! I wouldn't even know how to work it!_

"Oh, I wouldn't worry too much about that. The machine will do all the work for you."

With that he inserted the amber crystal inside of the gelatinous mass. The material coagulated around the new matter, absorbing it and settling. The amorphous sphere turned the same amber shade as its new power source. Like blood through an IV, the coloring extended straight through the robot's inner workings.

Maria screamed. It was like being torn apart by razorblades, or being strung on a rack and tortuously having each limb separated, one by one. The pain continued even after each member was severed, the very life blood draining. She was becoming dizzy, forgetful. No, she was loosing herself again! She was fading away…

The platform on which Dr. Robotnik stood flew back from the mech and returned to its hub. He stalked off in awe like a proud parent as each connective tubing suckered to his creation's hide fell away and swayed like dead snakes. The very air now reverberated as if alive with the sound of virgin breath. The mech clicked and revved as it stood with its own two legs. Anthropoid features came into light, hybridized with draconian influences. Eyes, once blank with death, illuminated in a blaze of sulfuric yellow. The piping along its body that extended and delivered its life-giving energy pulsed and rushed with newly given purpose. The machine lifted its heavily weaponized arms, Gatling guns and cannons snapping into place. Solar fins flared and rustled uneasily from its shoulders, another flash and the two meshed colors became one. The now emerald dragoon's howl came out as a tormented, echoing wail that sent the entire compound into convulsion.

- **AUTHOR'S NOTES-**

I only just kinda discovered that Oasis is a lot like a female Scar (Lion King), but with a slight bit less blatant cruelty. As such, I started playing Be Prepared by Jim Cummings when writing the mid to this with Oasis and Elise. The only thing with Oasis that I guess people get confused with is just that she really does have no interest in world domination, unlike Ivo who she often helps/annoys. She is one of those who does what she does to see how it affect others and doesn't take much interest in any consequence other than if it is not beneficial to her. She very much has a draconic mindset in that time does not pose much of a problem. She is not immortal, but she is longer lived than a normal anthrope or human. Her main flaw is that she has no real concept of her mortality, unlike her sister Mirage.

The aura that Shadow tuned into to follow Oasis is actually Elise. He and she become acquainted for a time during my rendering of STH'06. He does like her and so he develops a connection to her. She reminds him of a more restrained Maria.

I always pictured Elise and Maria being really good friends. Maria I envisioned as being bubbly and somewhat of a klutz. Elise of course, having been raised as royalty, is more mature but shy. They both are outgoing, sweet, and love to read. That's one of the reasons I like putting these four together. In a way, Sonic and Maria have similar personalities in the same way that Shadow and Elise do. And, in the end, they're all friends because of it.

If I had made Silver Shadow and Maria's son for NAA he would have ending up with Sonic and Elise's daughter, Violet. Which is honestly funny to think about seeing as though I am a huge Silvaze/Sonaze fan. Violet winds up inheriting her father's wind element and mother's fire element. This makes her a pyro, like Blaze. Her fur is also purple, like Blaze, albeit more of a dusty shade. Violet is bi though, and does have a crush on Marie but ultimately winds up with Drake, who is the son of Silver and Blaze. Even so, she and Marie still have a very close relationship. At the end of Apocalypse Marie is together with Chris, Elise and Sonic's adopted son -who happens to be Chris Thorndyke from the series Sonic X.

I sometimes wonder if anyone ever reads these notes. They're mostly just ramblings and spoilers anyway…


	4. Death and Resurrection

- **DISCLAIMER** -

Sonic the Hedgehog and all related characters/themes © SEGA and/or Sonic Team.

'The New Age Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog' © Kathryn Christine Starcrafter/Lumorean Arts.

- **WE'RE NOT THAT DIFFERENT AT ALL** -

Part III: Death and Resurrection

The forest grew thinner the closer the two hedgehogs ran towards the edge of Kingdom Valley. They both came to a skidding halt as the earth came to an abrupt end. They stood at the pinnacle of a crumbling cliff. In the distance rose the Solarian Mountains, obscured in thick mist. One step further and the two would have plummeted into the endless void below.

Sonic tipped over and gazed down into the twisting abyss. "Great, now what do we do?"

Shadow's sight remained to the overcast sky, maintaining silence.

"Hey Shad, you hear me?"

"They're above us."

"That's great but how do we get to them? Can't you just pop us up there?" Sonic's patients was wearing thin.

Shadow groaned. "I can't."

"Why not?"

"I don't have a Chaos Emerald."

"So? That never stopped you before."

"Do you think I can just randomly teleport where-ever and when-ever I please?"

"Then what happened to that weird jewel you've been toting around for, like, over a year?"

"That's why I'm after Ivo!" Shadow growled. "Dolby gave it to me to help me find Maria. Her aura, her soul, is what's been aiding my chaos powers. It's not the stone I care about, its the person inside it."

"Maria?" An odd pang of understanding for once quieted him.

Ever since the blue hedgehog had discovered and accepted his love for Elise, he began to see Shadow's plight from a different angle. Before, when he had learned that Shadow's mate had been human, it had been almost a joke. That changed, of course, when Elise had come into his life. Afterward, he kinda felt like a jerk. He learned that physical attraction was only half the battle. What had clinched it had been her quips and endearing personality that nearly mirrored his. So, he understood now the pain this was causing Shadow. There was also the fact that his own mate had been taken too!

The explanation that that weird jewel was like a Chaos Emerald also cleared up some things. Not like he cared how or why Shadow did what he did. But just mentioning Maria's involvement told Sonic that his friendly-rival's predicament wasn't far from his own. Apparently, somehow that stone was Maria. That meant that Shadow was just as desperate to get aboard the Carrier as Sonic was. Possibly even more so, as he realized something. Even if that stone wasn't a Chaos Emerald, if Shadow could use its powers then that meant so could Machine King.

As he was about to respond with something more, there came a sudden surge of wind. The forest where the two had just emerged shifted and bent, creating a hole through the canopy. Both knew exactly what it was even though neither could see it. Within a few seconds the silver sphere blipped into existence, its base floating inconspicuously above the mossy cliff-side. Its upper shell unfurled to reveal what was inside. Sonic had hoped that it would be Oasis, even though he knew it wouldn't. He longed to give that damnable wretch a piece of his mind.

The thing rose intimidatingly. It was like a hunched t-rex, massive jowls overtaking the majority of its head. Down its back were thick metal plates, its stomach a glowing ball of churning elements. Shadow didn't wait for the mech to settle into its stance. He immediate shot for its jaw. The force was strong enough to knock the beast back and off balance, falling off the hover-pad with a heavy crash. The victorious hedgehog landed where once his enemy stood, inspecting the craft to figure how to make it go.

The robot wobbled back to its feet, screeching horribly like metal scraping against metal. It voice became rings of flames spiraling towards its aggressor. Sonic slid beneath the sphere, hopping up and planting yet another strike on its lower jaw. Nuts and bolts rained as pieces of its frame crumbled from the impact of two precise strikes. While the thing shook itself, Sonic hopped on board beside Shadow.

"How do we get this thing moving?"

At that exact moment the dino came back and swiped at the two with its heavily armored tail. Both hopped out of the way with ease.

"It's touch activated. Although, I don't think either of us can get it moving with that thing wanting to play jump rope."

"Can do!"

Its jaws snapped forward and Sonic vaulted into the air. For a second the thing was confused, then setting its sights on Shadow. It growled and a pair of compartments opened on its back. Odd, cylindrical wings unfurled, tips burning a malicious scarlet hue. In mere seconds twin beams of neon shot out like lasers, swiping and igniting anything organic in their wake. Shadow ducked out of the way as one cut right by his ear. While crouched he generated twin shears of his own element, directing them downward to slice off both of the mechanization's weapons. It hollered as if in pain, resorting back to the flames the erupted from its maw. Sonic chose then to appear again, colliding back down like a comet and landing square on the creature's crown. The force of the impact made it bow, neck joints popping.

"This thing doesn't seem like something Egghead would make."

Shadow wasn't paying much attention to his companion, instead focusing back to the platform that was their only hope of making it into the Carrier. Sonic glanced around and noticed small patches of fire the thing has caused, yet not a scratch shown on the vehicle. From behind the thing brought itself back up, voice nothing but the torturous rev of an engine unable to start. Sonic was about to preform another homing attack but his partner beat him to it. Shadow, who had appeared distracted through much of the confrontation, formed a flattened disk of elemental chaos. The power of which, effortlessly sliced through the aggressor's thick neck, melting metal like a hot knife through butter. The dino's head fell first, chomping away at nothing but air. A few seconds more and its heavy bulk followed with a clattering boom.

The blue blur set his sight back on Shadow. "Why didn't you do that in the first place?"

"Because it takes a lot of energy and I'm not exactly up to par right now."

Sonic noticed then that his sort-of friend looked a little ragged. Even though his demeanor was unchanged his body spoke otherwise. His breath was unusually labored, sweat shimmering on his dark coat that had nothing to do with the heat of the fire starting to build around them. The fire! Sonic took a moment to use his own element and stop it from spreading. That's all he needed, a natural disaster running out of control near Soleanna.

When he returned his partner had apparently figured out how the saucer worked. Sonic hopped on as the shell rolled up and encompassed them. The cloaking mechanism came on, making it look like they were floating up into heaven. The cloud cover whisked by, curled here and there with spirals of lingering smoke like strings of silver. Sonic turned up to face where they were going. It felt like they were rocketing through a storm.

On the other side loomed the hulking monstrosity that was Machine King's Doom Carrier. Stupid name but it was to be feared. The war ship was shaped like a submarine hung with a multitude of propellers and cannons. It was about the length of a sixteen-story building, wide enough to fit four football fields inside, at least. It was a miracle of science how the damn thing got off the ground! For a second he wondered why it wasn't cloaked. Possibly because its existence was covered by the traveling nimbus below.

Their ride escorted them to a circular opening, revealing itself like a maw of inverted teeth. The saucer zoomed into place and set itself perfectly. Once settled, the dome unfurled and the two were allowed to dismount. The Carrier's innards were the same as always, the air heavy with dread and malicious intent. Those little worker bots still hovered around, tirelessly doing their jobs. Along every corner rested some new device ready for war. Sonic's fears cropped up again. Ivo was always planning something. That's why it was up to the Freedom Fighters to predict when and where.

Shadow dashed off without a word.

"Hey, wait! Where are you going?"

To his surprise Shadow actually did stop and look back. Maybe there was some level of respect between them.

"Do you think it's a good idea to split up?"

"Why? You know the layout but I can sense who I'm looking for."

And that was it. Shadow was off and Sonic was left to grumble in annoyance. He did have a pretty valid argument but still... The blue hedgehog shot off and into the elevator on the far side. Shadow had went down a side corridor. If anything, one of them would wind up finding the person they were looking for. He had to be quick, though. He didn't know what Oasis -or Ivo- had planned currently. Nothing the two ever came up with equaled anything good or beneficial to the masses.

The ship's layout was sort of sporadic. It had three internal chambers and one upper level that oversaw the deck. The middle of the three was all hallways and experimentation rooms. If Elise was anywhere he had a bad feeling it was within one of those rooms. He practically made a Z pattern going up and down each hall and cat-walk, trying to catch a glint of something that would lead to her appearance.

Out of the dimness a coagulation of shadow and form solidified. He slid to a halt, amethyst eyes watching him with eerie indifference.

"Where is she?" Sonic stalked forward, holding himself from slamming the hybrid into the wall.

"Oh, Sonic. I don't even get a hello?" She skirted him sensually, her violet-scaled tail nearly constricting his waist. "Our relationship is at that point, don't you think?"

He swatted her away harshly. "I know you're not deaf."

She snickered sharply, walking away when her sight wandered elsewhere. "Women always bring out the worst in you. You know that, don't you? You should think about changing sides. What about that black and red fellow? He seems as though he could use a nice release."

"You didn't answer me!"

Oasis stopped and looked back with a hideous grin. "No... No, I didn't."

"Oasis!" Before he could even grab hold of her she dissolved and vanished between his fingers like wisps of frosted mist. "Damn it!"

He punched the wall where she had been standing out of frustration, practically growling out a roar. He was so close! Did he really have to continue to look through every single room? Most of them didn't even open. He took a deep breath and straightened, about to rush away when the wall he had assaulted gave way naturally.

"Elise!"

There she was! Relief washed over him. In the back of the chamber he saw her bound in a chair with a metal bar clasped to her neck. Her eyes shot open and she called to him, voice muffled from her confinement. He shot for her, taking a moment to see if she was whole. So far so good. He glanced around to try and find some way to release her. There was a jewel set in the base of the capsule she was in that looked a lot like a Chaos Emerald without its luster. Fear made him pause a moment and pay attention more to what he was doing. These must have been the machines that Ivo used to create artificial Soul Stones... then mass murdered Flickies to use as fuel for his mechs. One false move and she would be one of the countless lost. Was that what Oasis had planned?

How was he going to get her out of this? He didn't want to break it. Knowing how his luck sometimes went the machine might go haywire and wind up killing her. The thought scared him more horribly than he would have liked to admit. He had already lost so many. If he didn't learn from the experiences past there was no hope for the future.

"Don't worry. I'll figure out how to get you out of there."

Elise nodded as best she could. Honestly, she couldn't help him. She had no idea how she even got here, let alone how the device worked. Oasis hadn't told her much, and what she had had nothing to do with freedom. Sonic wandered off to a pedestal standing inconspicuously off in the back corner of the room. The only thing that was written on it was 'Disposal' with a bright, red button underneath. Maybe that was how the machine activated. Knowing Ivo's twisted psyche he probably considered his victims like garbage. Or, was that really the release function and not a mass murder trigger?

He heard Elise call to him and answered. She gave him a gentle nod. Did she know that that would work? He swallowed dryly and gave the button a tentative press, breathing a sigh of relief when all of the tubes lost their protective covering. The chair that Elise had been restrained to released its bindings. Sonic ran up to her and she fell into his arms, holding him tight and shivering. He knew she was horribly frightened but she wouldn't cry. She never cried. A residual pass-over from her previous life.

"Let's go."

Shadow ran as fast as he could. Unfortunately, the same elemental energy that produced his chaos powers also fueled his jet shoes. Only a short distance away he could sense her. Something was very wrong. Maria was shooting of her aura constantly. Every time she did he caught fragments of her soul, what made her who she was. When he tuned into anyone that was what he caught. A few feet more and in the distance there was a strange, neon glow. He finally broke through and his worst nightmare was realized.

Shadow slid to a halt, well aware of what had happened. From ten feet away a beast bore down at him with murderous intent. It had Maria's energy signature mixed with something that was most definitely not her.

"Well now, certainly didn't expect to see you here so soon."

The bio-android turned to the source of the sound. Ivo Robotnik stood upon his mobile, attempting to look menacing. Shadow snarled. This man had soiled the Robotnik name, his and Maria's name. That could never be forgiven. The platform underneath gave a sharp jolt, sending his stomach to the bottom of his feet.

As they began to rise Dr. Robotnik began his high-and-mighty banter. "Do you like it? She happens to be my pride and joy. I was waiting for the perfect power source to come along. I thought about using a Chaos Emerald, but then I learned about your little friend."

"Don't prod me..." Shadow hissed between clenched fangs, claws burrowing into his palms.

Ivo laughed heartily, always amused by the pains of others. "Oh, come now. You don't really think that she could be of any other use to you safe a secure source of perpetual energy?"

"I never confined her against her will!"

"No? You forced her out of heaven -if that's were she truly was- and sealed her inside of a Soul Stone. I think that constitutes as 'against one's will.'"

Shadow's heart sank. That had always been his concern. Had he taken her from an eternally content afterlife? Then he remembered how fearful she had been when he had offered to release her from the crystal. She reacted so franticly and distressed. In that moment he understood something wasn't right and it had not been the time to pry. He was simply overjoyed that she wanted to stay with him. Then this man -this ogre- took her and forced her into slavery! He had never even considered treating her like some mindless battery, as if she were just another Chaos Emerald. She was his Light, the one voice that kept him sane. There was no way in the multiverse he was leaving without her by his side, should he die a thousand deaths.

White light suddenly blinded from above. Seconds more and the platform came to a sudden halt. Shadow took a moment to re-balance, fierce, piercing winds of the upper atmosphere not helping in the least. The draconic machine rose to its appropriate height with roar revving it into life. Its body cascaded over in shimmering flickers of gold and blue before meshing into viridian once again.

Shadow's quills quivered in agitation. He had to think of some way to get Maria out of there. He already knew her exact location. What he was fearful of involved her safe removal. It was a guarantee that robot wasn't going to make it easy. It started out with a duel barrage of light rockets. Even with the twister raging across the top of the Carrier the senseless objects locked en-route. Shadow tapped into the reserves buried deep inside himself and summoned a cluster of simple Chaos Arrows, diverting the bullets and igniting them in mid-air.

Sonic tightly gripped the hand of his mate and lead her out along the catwalk, towards the elevator. Moments flashed behind his eyes of the life he and she lived previously. Every so often, fragments of their broken past would crop up, even after all of their previous memories had been unlocked. It was both a curse and blessing. Learning from one's mistakes helped, though it never lessened the pain of them.

He lead her to the elevator but before they could board a series of shuddering booms erupted from above. They both paused to look and then Sonic turned to her. He needed to help Shadow but he wanted her safe first.

As if sensing what he was thinking she said, "Don't worry about me."

Sonic gave her a reassuring smile. "I always worry about you."

"Technically, that's my job."

His laugh came out short and soft, even though he really was concerned. Somehow her confidence always relaxed him. He knew she could handle herself pretty well and certainly wasn't stupid. Still, he hated having to risk her. Taking her hand again, they mounted the elevator and ascended up to the deck.

The mech was fast, engines charged on the soul energy given off by the tormented Adhyatman. Its ammo seemed limitless, casting off an uncountable amount of missiles that boomed and shattered around each corner. The amber blur remained distant at first, allowing the wind of the ship's flight to carry each shot past its target. The thing must have sensed his indirect plan. Every time Shadow skated within three meters it discharged some mesh of plasma and electricity that dug deep under his fur and flung him back. The dragon charged him at one point, catching him off balance and plowing him into the hull with its plated talons. The hedgehog bounced as if filled with helium and the machine screeched in chorus with the typhoon.

"Ha! Look like you've finally met your match!"

A splinter of rage shot down his spine, comprehending little of the madman's taunt. On stiff but screaming limbs Shadow rose and bolted again. The machine had not gone far. There was a chance at its chest, its soul. He wasn't fast enough. Either that or the hedgehog had been so intent on his target that he hadn't noted the dangers therein. A force came down and swallowed him in darkness. The dragon's maw. He wouldn't be bested that easily. With another burst of strength blistering his spine Shadow forced its jaws to part.

In this compromising position there wasn't much that could be done. Shadow attempted to manifest his birthright. However, it only resulted in a few bursts of harmless sparks and a tingling numbness down his arms and legs that broke his stance for a brief moment. Was this it? He was fading, inch by inch. He couldn't loose her… Not like this.

The dragon mech's voice ascended into overdrive and it began to convulse. In response it shuddered and the cogs and pistons locking its mouth released. Shadow tumbled onto the frigid, cobble-metal of the Carrier on his stomach. The world went white and breathless, his head swirling in a void of nothingness.

The first sense that returned was hearing, a sharp pop and whistle that faded into the wind. There was a voice that grew closer and closer as sanity returned. All that could be gleamed in that brief moment was a wash of blue and silver before a sharp and sudden weightlessness overcame his head again.

Sonic, when his companion didn't immediately awaken, grabbed him around the waist just in time to miss a swipe from the beast's barrel shaded arm. "Shadow, come on man! Wake Up!"

The dragon let off another barrage of rapid fire plasma from its fins and the hedgehog was forced to take cover behind one of the many atmospheric barricades the Carrier's hull had been pockmarked with. One of which Elise had placed herself behind some time earlier. He laid Shadow on his back and shook him.

"Hey, not funny! Wake up, you jerk!" A blackness hovered from above and curiosity diverted concern. "Whoa!" Which, in the end, helped to avoid blunt force trauma.

Sonic was forced to bolt away, leaving the mechanized beast hovering over his rival. If there was one flaw in its design it had to be that it had no real offense in close quarters. Most of the mech's weaponry focused on long range assault, only having a kind of energy burst to force those opposing it back. So, while Shadow remained beneath the behemoth he seemed to be in the eye of the storm.

The shaking and white noise encompassing his world forced him awake again. The hedgehog rose on his knees wearily, realizing that he officially had no more reserves. Even if he removed his Rings there would be little he could generate from what remained that would result in anything other than his own demise. Even still, looking up at the monstrosity flailing a mere foot above his ears gave him an idea. He wouldn't have to use his powers at all as long as Sonic kept it busy.

Said anthrope zipped back and forth, popping on turrets and skirting behind barricades. Even though he kept his distance the machine didn't move from its perch. Instead, it relied on the energy missiles generated from Maria's soul. With a brief glance to its talons he noticed Shadow had stood and was gazing up at the thing. That's when he had a thought. The dragon apparently had some kind of program that told it how close an adversary could near before it would either back away or force the advancing individual somewhere-else using that plasma shield. Sonic had unknowingly kept to that appropriate distance, meaning the robot had not moved much from where it was currently. This also meant that it had completely forgotten that it had two foes to contend with. That or it had figured the other was too weak to be a burden worth its time.

Shadow vaulted up onto the thing's armored tail and from there climbed, delicately but swiftly, under one of its arms and to its massive chest plate. It had been constructed in such a way that its aesthetic scales worked perfectly as hand-holds, so as long as it didn't shift too fiercely, the mechanized creature could be scaled like a cliff side. Somehow it had not sensed Shadow's ascent. Ivo's robots had no physical feeling. Shadow must have been giving off so little energy that it had not noticed even when the thick sheets of its chest compartment were forced apart and its amber, pulsating heart was exposed.

Without a second thought, Shadow launched a paw into the oily sphere and hooked around the one solid thing inside. With that touch he could hear her screaming in his head. All the aura driving this device had suddenly diverted to him. She was terrified and in such unending pain it mad him tear in utter helplessness. He used what little of his chaos element that remained to slip into the stone, to tell her he was here, it was alright. For a moment the machine's movements had stalled and Shadow took that intermission to rip out the Adhyatman with a harmonic, shimmering _bing_ and clutch it protectively to his chest.

From a distance Sonic cautiously watched his companion scale the machine. He made sure to keep to that indeterminate distance, letting it stay put and fire off as may missiles as it wanted. They may have been formed out of light but they were still not too difficult to dodge so long as he paid attention to each pattern. When Shadow had opened it up and plunged inside the dragon's movements became twitchy before it halted entirely. Was that it? Did they do it?

All was silent for a second or two before the air shivered again from the creature's cry. Something had happened, some kind of backup feature kicked in that sent its joints and gears into overdrive. No longer able to power its energy weapons, it could only resort to its blunt members. It shook and swayed, forcing Shadow to dismount unceremoniously but with Maria in tow. Then it began a sort of teetering dance, striking here and there and ultimately making its blundering way towards the doctor, who had been surveying the confrontation in seething malice. Well, at least it wasn't after them anymore.

The blue blur, giddy with victory, bounded off towards his girl who had kept herself hidden away effectively. He saw a flurry of scarlet peek from behind a mangled bulwark, figuring all must have finally quieted down. Her wandering sight caught his form intent on her and smiled, revealing more of herself to meet him half way.

"Alright, let's get Shadow and hightail it out of here."

Elise nodded enthusiastically, the thrill of success he gave off palatable enough to lift her spirits with his. But, just as quickly, they plummeted. In a brief span of perhaps a second or two she was forced to make a decision. It was a decision she didn't have to think twice about. He was only about an inch or two from her hip. Too close.

Sonic hadn't been paying attention. It was all his fault! The only thing he remembered was a sharp vice upon his wrist and then being pulled off balance into a roll onto the icy metal of the Doom Carrier. The action was so unexpected that he wound up banging his chin and tasting blood. When he finally regained his composure what he witnessed made the world go numb.

That damn mech! Why hadn't he made sure it was gone? Why! It had come back, still on the rampage. He hadn't even heard it! A thick beam of silver plowed through where once he stood. It should have been him! That sound. The way she yelped, breathless and pitched. It would haunt him for the rest of his days. The universe itself seemed to slow as her petite form rocketed through the cloud whipped atmosphere, landing with a short bounce before rolling onto her back like a rag doll.

"No!" Sonic screamed against the torrent of wind, hot tears burning his muzzle.

In his desperate attempt to reach her he wound up scrambling like a drunkard for half the distance before finally standing and skidding to her side. Those beautiful eyes, once polished steel, were now dull and staring at nothing. A streak of glossy red dripped from the corner of her mouth, making her porcelain skin even more startling. He was terrified of even touching her should he unconsciously bring her more harm. Instead he bent over her body stifling his whimpers, trying to find a pulse, a breath, something, anything to let him know she was still with him!

"Please… Please… Please…" His pleading came out as a pathetic whisper, lips brushing delicately against the still warm flesh of her neck.

A weight upon his shoulder bolted him alert. He swung sharply, for some reason not expecting to see Shadow wearing a rare expression of sympathetic concern. His rival, still battered and weak, removed his paw and pulled on the golden string from the oddly-shaped stone. He then used the extra length to bind it securely but loosely to the poor girl.

 _She_ _'s still here but very faint. I can try to keep her near and heal her but it'll take some time._

A voice came to him that was gentle with understanding, hauntingly familiar. It must have been Maria talking from the jewel. He never thought they could do that. A bud of hope blossomed in his still heaving chest. Maybe, just maybe, she would be okay.

Oasis skirted along an upraised bridge nonchalantly. She had kept her distance, always watching, surveying with false interest. Behind her back she fiddled with another remote, this one thick and heavy. It was time to end this little game while there were still some prizes to be won.

Movement caught her attention and she noticed Ivo had finally regained his composure. Whatever residual energy that remained in the Dragoon was now depleted, it having finally gave out some distance behind a sail. Apparently, having realized the same shift in power, he had decided to continue the assault with more childish means. There were many portcullis pimpling the scarlet hull. Appearing from most of these came a goodly amount of Red Pawns, homing in on their prey.

With one final sigh her thumb brushed over the raised dial of the device clutched in her fist, stroking it almost lovingly before finally depressing it. A wave of invisible energy pulsed, radiating out in sphere of influence near fifteen miles in diameter. At first there was nothing, just an unusual weight to the air. Then it happened. The metal beneath her began to give way as the massive flying submarine pierced the cloud cover and plummeted down to planet below.

The bio-android extended her membranous wings, letting them catch an updraft and gently float away from the chaos that would ensue. As she did so she sang softly to the wind, hoping that perhaps her voice would carry over the panic below.

" _Now as you see, this game is through. So although it hurts, I'll try to smile as I say: Goodbye so soon? Well, isn't this a crime?"_

Sonic and Shadow's attention severed once both sensed something foul in the air. They glanced around and found nothing amiss before turning to each other. It started slowly, a weightlessness that lingered just outside of consciousness. Beneath them the sounds of buckling metal snapped through the air like static. In the next moment the behemoth began to fall, leaving those upon its hull to float away.

"What the hell is going on?" Ivo's yelps went nearly unheard. "What happened?"

He watched his newly summoned army become airborne, flapping about like newborn ducklings. There was nothing he could do for them. Instead, he opened one of the elevators and flew his personal transport down into the bowels of the carrier. Perhaps there was a chance of bringing everything back online again.

The two anthropes and girl drifted away from one another. Pieces of the ship were becoming undone, speckling the air with fragments of shrapnel. It was almost like being on the moon with little-to-no gravity holding you in place. Before the trio could spread any further Shadow gained an idea. Igniting his jet shoes with the little chaotic fuel he had helped guide his gangly body off in their general direction. The first thing he reached for was Maria. Not so much due to selfishness rather than need of her power. His paw eclipsed her and with the other he reach for his counterpart.

Sonic, unfortunately, had no real way of guiding himself anywhere. Instead, he was forced to watched the crippled body of his life-mate drifted farther and father from him. Then he saw Shadow, able to at least somewhat navigate the brittle air and bolt for her. A scale from the carrier peeled lose and rose towards him. That was his one chance. His body was already pivoting towards it, making so when he kicked off it produced just enough momentum to grab hold of Shadow's outstretched arm.

Once they locked, Shadow's conciseness gingerly caressed the one inside the stone. She, in turn, nuzzled back, allowing him as much of her that he required. Two minds linked as one, and Shadow felt his element return in full. He forced a small pocked of magnetism around them to condense and release. Only moments ago they were falling to their death, now they watched in awe as the Doom Carrier made its final decent.

Even from the relatively safe distance of Kingdom Valley's edge the very cliff shook from the impact of the once indomitable beast. Supposedly impenetrable metal buckled and cracked against the snow capped mountains. Mushroom clouds erupted like a spray of nukes while ribbons of amber flames clung to the crimson plane like the ceaseless grip of an enraged cephalopod. And the sound, deafening. It was if the very air had want to flee the scene. The landscape itself terraformed. Bubbles of molten soil rolled down into the valley while sheets of still intact stone crumbled as if build on nothing more than sand.

Sonic tore his sight away from the wreckage. "There's a hospital in New Soleanna," he breathed hurriedly. "It's… It's about twelve miles from here, going northeast."

"Just touch Maria and show her in your mind where it is. She'll do the rest."

The blue blur didn't hesitate. He reached for the amber stone and pictured the silver building he had seen on one of their strolls through the city. Every minute detail he thought would help came to him, even the name of an adjacent street that he had made a comment on not too long ago. Dumpty Drive.

And then they were away, leaving the catastrophe to its own devices. For the time being there were much more pressing matters.

- **AUTHOR'S NOTES-**

I don't think I ever really explained that the concept that the Chaos Emeralds were Soul Stones had nothing to do with the Elder Scrolls series. Soul Stones in the NAA-verse I actually made up long before I ever played any of the games. It was actually one of the very first unique things I made up for this world, even before Oasis and Mirage -who have been part of NAA since its founding.

Ivo, since he really doesn't go by Eggman in the series, doesn't normally name any of his contraptions 'Egg -whatever-'. Usually they're either named for the color or design, like the Red Pawns here, which are basically the Egg pawn types from Sonic Heroes. Sonic and the others do refer to him as Eggman as a joke. However, they stop using the term just 'Robotnik' as an insult or 'Robuttnik' because of Maria and Shadow, who take that last name.

Mirage stated, in an OS from Season 5: Future, that the only thing good to ever come out of Oasis was that she had an opulent singing voice. It's not something that comes up often. The lyrics she sings in this is from Disney's the Great Mouse Detective.

One last chapter to go.


	5. You Are My World

- **DISCLAIMER** -

Sonic the Hedgehog and all related characters/themes © SEGA and/or Sonic Team.

'The New Age Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog' © Kathryn Christine Starcrafter/Lumorean Arts.

- **WE'RE NOT THAT DIFFERENT AT ALL** -

Part IV: You Are My World

At the sudden appearance of the three, those surrounding the entranceway to New Soleanna Medical Center yelped in alarm. The elderly watched and murmured while the younger parted for them to make there way into the Emergency Room. The staff there reacted quickly and efficiently, transferring Elise gently onto a cot and whisking the half-dead girl out of sight. The two who remained were left to impatiently pass the time in the waiting room with countless others who had all become eerily quiet at the scene.

Shadow wandered off to a decently vacant group of speckled blue seats, closing his eyes and keeping composure. His companion, on the other hand, wouldn't sit still. He couldn't much be blamed. Sonic wasn't conditioned for this, even under normal circumstances. The series of events that finally transpired was not even remotely commonplace. He paced and weaved through the questioning gazes of patients with varying degrees of illness or ailment, leaning against the wall beside a vending machine once or twice. This fidgety panic finally got the better of the other anthrope, who seized him by the collar when he passed for the third time in under a minute, and forced him down at his side. Sonic only briefly glanced at him before shifting his focus down to his feet with a dry swallow. Neither of them spoke.

After what could have been only a moment, or perhaps hours into eternity, one of the nurses came to them. His voice was soft with concern but had a strange edge that was only revealed when he began to explain what had occurred. He lead the two through a pair of automated doors and into a restricted section of the ER. Here it was relatively quiet but for the beeping of working machines and patter of feet. The man told them that Elise was stable and being transported to a private section of the hospital on the sixth floor. At this news Sonic nearly leapt clear through the ceiling, grinning madly with a light shimmer to his eyes. He also explained to them how truly odd her case was.

When she had arrived it was apparent her spine had been shattered with massive internal organ failure. If they hadn't known any better they would have most certainly labeled her as DOA -Dead On Arrival. Once they brought her into intensive care, things began to change. Her body was healing of it's own accord. The arm into which an IV had been placed, and certainly had been broken, was reset. When they propped her head back for oxygen her neck as well had somehow regained its normal range of motion. Color returned before their startled eyes, chest expanding with breath, though labored. He ended by telling them it was a miracle she was even still alive in itself. Shadow allowed a soft grin.

They were then given free reign to go see her. Even though she was stable she would still be monitored heavily for the next few days to ensure this. She was the future ruler of Sea-Shore. There would be no lapse in concern for her wellbeing. Sonic, of course, heard none of this. Once the nurse had said they could leave he took not a second and did so. Only Shadow remained behind to thank the man before doing similarly.

Sixth floor, room B2, was fairly spacious and made to more homey comforts while still being in a medical setting. It appeared to have been made for the elderly who could no longer manage without direct care, and so spent their final days here. Not a comforting thought in itself, but it did mean that the room was free to themselves and tucked away from the main traffic of the hospital.

When Shadow arrived he softly closed the wooden door behind with only a click. There was a brief hallway with a sink that obscure the room itself from view. Sonic stood looking down on his mate with intense, moist eyes. His one paw held her slim digits within, squeezing only as much as he dared. So intent was he on this task that the blue blur took no noticed to the arrival. Unperturbed, Shadow merely sat himself again in a spare chair near the rectangular length of windows.

The bed in which Elise had been transfered appeared remarkably similar to a standard twin found in most homes. Even so, it wasn't normal. It was bolted to the floor with internal mechanizations and rimmed with safety guards to prevent accidentally rolling out. She, herself, had been stripped of her clothing and fitting into a baby-blue hospital gown. However, Maria still remained looped to her neck and appearing little more than jewelry. It was surprising that that had not been removed too. Although, perhaps that was another reason why the nurse had been so thrown. Maybe Maria had spoken softly to them and instructed otherwise.

Sonic didn't actually grab himself a seat until the room darkened with the fall of twilight. There was a small end table set beside the oxygen's components inside the wall. Upon it was an bronze, Victorian-style lamp that he released Elise only to turn on. Its flickering glow was soft with age and shaded it's small sphere of influence a dusty yellow. That was more than enough. He finally grabbed a chair and brought it in close so that he could still hold her and hope that she could sense him near. Utterly exhausted, he used the crook of his free arm to rest his chin while continuing to watch over her intently.

All of this action was silently overseen by Shadow. For the longest time the bio-android had hated the blue runt. For years, that one argument had soured any possible friendship they could have managed. Now, though, he felt the deepest sympathies. A goodly portion of his own life had been spent in the Medical Bay of the ARK. Not so much for himself but for Maria. Whenever she had a seizure he was there. Always. He would sit by her side, even before they were lovers, and talk to her in her sleep or hold her hand to let her know someone was watching over her. Someone cared about her. He would do exactly what Sonic was doing. And witnessing this play of events from an onlooker's perspective softened him to Sonic's plight. Not so much as to completely forgive him for calling Shadow's mate a joke, but enough to lessen the malice he otherwise retained.

For once in his life Sonic was thankful he had not been present when Sally was killed. The way Elise had screamed. That single sound would haunt him for the rest of his days. And now, as he gazed up at her heartbroken, returned that feeling of helplessness. How he hated it so! Why was it every time he really NEEDED to protect someone he couldn't? Unintentionally, his paw squeezed her.

Elise's delicate thumb twitched. That otherwise insignificant action jolted him alert like the prick of static. He hopped to a stand and hovered over her, breath caught in waiting. Another eternity went by before she shifted a bit with a gentle groan. She coughed a couple times, the sound muffled by the mask, before cringing. Then she finally opened her eyes. In that moment they were the most precious gems he had ever seen.

Elise smiled gingerly. "Hey."

"Elise…" he breathed, grin widening every second. "You're alright!" Then it contoured. "Why? Why did you do that? You could have… You almost…" He couldn't bring himself to say that one word.

She remained unperturbed. "It's alright."

"No, it's not!" He hadn't meant to yell. He flopped back down, expression curled in melancholy. "Sorry."

Elise watched him, softened by the pain she had not meant to cause him. "Sonic, listen," she began, words lazy with lingering fatigue and bursts of sharpness that radiated from random muscles and joints. "I made a promise. I can't do much to help you. I don't know how to fight so I can't even protect you. However, if ever I could I promised I would. Even if it cost my life. You're so much more important to the world."

At that single statement his eyes narrowed. "But you are my world."

Those steely irises widened slightly. Her body seizing before a rebuttal, a pickling like someone rolling a cactus along her spine got the better of her and she faded into the void again. Her mate sat up and reached for her in panic, but the breather still fogged over in regular intervals. So, instead, he cupped her cheek as best he could, tenderly rubbing his thumb along the thin length of skin below her orbit.

After a minute or two a scuffling to his left divided his attention. He saw Shadow rise and head for the door. "I'm going to get us something to eat."

Sonic nodded and as his rival made to exist he said breathlessly, "thanks, Shadow."

In those words he understood how deep they went. He acknowledged and left.

Occasionally throughout the night and into morning they would be periodically visited by nurses. These individuals would ask questions and take vitals. All retained a somber respect. It was a wonder Elise's father hadn't shown up yet, also that none had made mention of the fact that the only two who who had thus far concerned themselves were anthropes. Sonic was more perturbed by this than Shadow, as he knew well its significance.

Maria felt that the easiest and most peaceful way to keep her charge calm was to encapsulate the majority of her energy in the vastness of the stone that had been made her new body. Even since she had regained enough sentience to bypass the unnatural barriers of the dimension, she had also began figuring its mechanizations. It wasn't a physical space, just a void of consciousness. As such, most of it could be manipulated at her will. This included sending out her own aura or drawing wandering strains of energy inside.

That was what she had done with Elise. The woman's soul was near depleted when Shadow had brought her near. It had taken quite an effort to catch as much of it as she could before it scattered into the energies Mobius, where she had been. Instead of transferring the ethereal mass back where it belonged, Maria decided it would be best to keep her inside of the stone as well. The princess's metaphysical shell was badly cracked. Even if she had attempted it, more than likely the effort would have been for naught. So, Maria only did so once she knew for sure she had sealed those cracks and the physical being itself would induce little to no pain when returned.

It had been an interesting experience, none-the-less. Granted, she knew nothing of this person other than the fact that Shadow was willing to offer his services to heal her. All of this had been so traumatic, but through it all she understood now that this other girl and hedgehog were on friendly terms with her Shadow. Perhaps, they were his friends? The thought warmed her. He had made friends!

All this was eventually confirmed when the visiting sentience regained enough of itself to be coherent. It wasn't like a normal conversation, more like a string of overlapping thoughts. The other was scared and avoided contact at first. Maria was patient and waited, attempting to explain as best she could. It didn't take long before the two officially made contact, a tentative friendship blossoming.

Maria kept Elise in the void with her conscience, her aural spirit weaving sinew and gluing bone and pausing only when needed in the real. They spoke of themselves, who they were and who they knew. Maria told of her life on the ARK and Elise of the Paradox. Maria learned of her cousin Ivo and why he wanted her so badly. Elise now understood why Shadow was so aloof and allowed very few to get close to him.

When Elise began to sense the outside world same as Maria she caught the helplessness emanating from her mate, whose aura lingered just out of reach. She asked if it would be possible to speak with him and Maria explained beforehand that her body still had a lot of recovery left and would possibly be rather painful in returning. Despite this, Elise requested to go. She had to speak with him, comfort him in knowing everything was alright. So, Maria obliged, leading her newly made friend across the barrier between worlds.

When morning came the scene had drastically improved. The future Empress of Sea-Shore sat up and requested food. Nurses came in a panic, checking her over yet again and recording more vitals. Oxygen was removed and a plate of scrambled eggs and bacon brought. Though not the most delectable feast she still gobbled it down with vigor, making an exhausted but relieved Sonic chuckle.

Then it happened. After having her fill Elise was going to drift back into sleep. Most of her body felt numb and shook as if frigid. There was still some lingering fatigue but, for the most part, she was back to her old self. As she closed her eyes some scuffling mingled with a well aged voice outside the room. She knew who it was and it sent her weakened heart into overdrive. Sonic and Shadow were alerted to the sound as well. Both spun right as the door to the room flung open.

The space now played host to a man well into his fifties but build as thick and unbendable as an ancient oak. It took not even a second for him to survey the scene. Two anthropes and his daughter stretched out on a cot. Hector knew the blue one very well.

The Emperor's angular faced creased in disgust. "You. You did this!"

Sonic had no argument to that statement.

"Dad, stop." Elise's attempt to be heard came out as nothing more than a harsh whisper.

He stomped forward. "Hush. I've had enough. Enough! This circus has been allowed to go on far too long. I will have this no more."

Dark eyes surveyed the weakened form of his most cherished daughter. She could hardly even sit up. What could have happened to her? How could he have allowed her to get involved in such madness? That was when he noticed the amulet. Such an odd trinket, its shape and design. It wasn't of his Empire's make nor of any import he had overseen.

His gnarled palm came down and swiped it from her neck. He could have sworn it yelped. "What is this, some kind of animal magic?"

Distraught and betrayed, Hector flung the tiny gemstone towards the open window a few feet away. The other one, shaded in black and red, was at it in a second, catching it like a feline with a toy mouse. Then its irises shot to him, clutching the jewel in its palm like a lifeline. Within that tireless gaze he could almost physically feel the burn of malice. It was the same beastile wrath all those things held inside them. They may try to hide behind clothing and speech but they were nothing more than uncomprehending demons of Gaia. The Emperor still held his ground despite experiencing, only for the second time, fear caused by one of these sentient animals. Though, this time it was for an entirely different reason.

Upon Maria's removal Elise's body visibly stiffened and then shook as if suddenly induced into a fever. Her eyes then closed in torpor, silent and still. Sonic, of course, noticed this instantly. Utter shock left him speechless and staring intently. Then that dumbfounded gaze shot to Hector and twisted into disdain. Sonic understood full well that this man was the Emperor and, more so, Elise's father.

In the end that Knowledge didn't stop him from hollering "Why would you do that? That was helping her!"

"It's time I put an end to this." Hector's booming tongue came out otherwise eerily hushed, sobering the very air around him. "You are not welcome here. I no longer want you near my daughter or even in my Empire. Leave now. If any of the Sentinels find you within the borders of Sea-Shore you will be killed on sight. Do you understand, beast? Have I finally made myself clear?"

Sonic opened his mouth in want to respond but that vice from before returned to his upper arm. His gaze shot to it and, yet again, found Shadow as the culprit. His rival didn't even say anything, only forcefully pulled him out the door. Two Sentinels had been placed at either side there, having gone unnoticed until just as they exited.

Even so, Sonic still griped, "What'd you do that for?"

"Trust me," Shadow's voice stayed soft so that only those near would hear. "I have way more experience in dealing with this kind of thing than you. Besides, I tucked Maria back with her while he was preoccupied with you. Elise'll be fine."

And Sonic had to be satisfied with that alone, though he wasn't. If not for Shadow he possibly would have made things far worse than they already were, for himself and Elise. Just for once he would have loved to give Hector a piece of his mind. Just once… It would do no good. He had to understand that. Men like Hector didn't see past the end of their nose. If something didn't fit within their reality then it simply couldn't exist. That was that.

The two left the hospital and New Soleanna all together. They skirted back towards the outskirts of Kingdom Valley, back towards the wreckage. When they arrived the mountainside was still bubbling over like a witch's cauldron. Whatever that particular mountain had been called was reduced to nothing more than a mudslide of magma and shrapnel. Most of the Doom Carrier was nonexistent, absorbed into the molten soil. What remained aboveground appeared eerily akin to that of an elephant graveyard. The feet-thick struts once supporting the massive battleship were still dripping and exposed like the ribs of a recently felled basilisk.

What they could make out of its innards was as some macabre painting. Everything from the extreme heat of the explosion had melted into a single sheet of curdled metal. Worst of all, the heads and limbs of the more sentient contraptions peaked out in places or reached skyward as if begging for a salvation that would never come. And, even though they were robots and nothing more, Sonic couldn't help feeling a pang of sympathy for them.

In some spots, where the metal had cracked, there were lights. Unapparent at first, only once the sky grew dull did they reveal themselves like land-bound stars. They shimmered in a rainbow of hues against a backdrop of death. The artificial Soul Stones that had been generated from the Replicator were now filled and there was only one explanation. That natural formation had once been home to thousands of living beings. Some of them had maybe even been sentient -anthropes or humans. Those jewels, so tuned to the energy of the world, ravenously devoured what they could of the fleeting eidolons. Those lights, as beautiful and harmonic as they were, revealed the true extent of the tragedy that occurred.

Out of all of this there was no hint of Ivo's fate.

Sometime in the evening, after it had grown dark, Shadow surprised Sonic by saying that Maria had told him that Elise was back home. Sonic's demeanor then brightened significantly, stating he needed to make a pit stop first.

It would do no good if the Sentinels were told to kill him on sight. You can't hit something if you can't see it. Regardless, there were some patrolling the grounds of the manor, per the norm, but none were hanging around Elise's balcony. Despite her father's persistence, she had won out. For some reason the Sentinels listened more to her word than his. Sonic didn't know or understand exactly why this was, nor had the thought ever piqued during conversation. Still, he was grateful, as it made things a lot easier.

The young Empress leaned over the alabaster balustrade in wait. From her vantage point, overlooking the garden her mother had tended, Soleanna flickered in golden starlight as the deep navy velvet of evening blanketed the foreseeable horizon. The air of spring bit deep, each diminutive breath a puff of white that fluttered swiftly into nothingness. What made the scene even more serene was simply the quiet. At this time of year everything was hushed, no birds to tweet or insects to chirp. So much so that, even at this distance, one could pick up the faint blare of traffic horns. That and the thunder of a young dragon's snout only a few feet behind.

 _They_ _'re here._

Elise perked from her vacancy, ears picking up an unnatural rustle of foliage that could mean only one thing. Another second and something cradled her shoulders and head tenderly but with purpose. The heat and safety of his fur retreated before she could return the favor and in her line of sight was a small bouquet of lilies, alabaster edges fading into a deep magenta center. She took his offer gingerly, stroking the silky petals like one would the head of a newborn kitten.

"How are you feeling?"

Elise's gaze finally met his, still warped in concern. It was a horrible expression for him to wear and she hated having to have been the cause of it.

"Fine, really. Still a little weak but I think I'll manage."

She turned back through the doors of the balcony and placed her gift next to the ones already on her nightstand from what felt like ages ago. This had to be done as quietly as possible. On her bed lay curled Winter, no more than a lump under a fluffy, ebony quilt that rose and fell in rhythmical intervals.

The first thing she did upon returning was to go up to the other of the pair. Shadow stood leaning against the outer wall of the balcony, appealing to his usual aloof nature. It had been a while since they had spoken, though briefly it was. But, she knew this anthrope, dark in fur and demeanor, kept himself that way not out of unkindness. Elise bent slightly and presented her palm. Within it was the Adhyatman, Maria, safe and sound.

"Thank you."

He tenderly scooped up the stone from her, relishing the return to wholeness. "It isn't really me you should be thanking."

A tiny grin cut her still unnaturally pale cheeks. "Don't worry. Maria and I talked a lot while I was… incapacitated. I already did."

And Shadow mirrored her expression in return. Perhaps, in the end, some good had occurred through what otherwise could have been catastrophe.

Elise shifted her attention to Sonic, who now sat himself in his usual spot. Even before the Paradox he had made that section of rail his. It was perfect, too. When there his height topped hers by a few inches.

"I'm sorry, by-the-way. I wish I could have told you it would be alright." Ivory fingers reached for her ear and fiddled with her ember locks.

"Wait, you can see THAT far ahead?"

"Sort of," she shrugged. "All I knew was that if you had been struck with me the outcome would have been drastically different."

He chuckled uneasily, swiping his paw across nothing. "I don't want to know. Besides, I think we now have something even more fun to deal with."

"I heard what he did, or, what he wants to do. Legally, he can't but he's still going to try."

It was this kind of thing that made her grateful that the imperial family were more-or-less figureheads. In order to do anything as drastic as to actively hunt down a single individual entering the country one would need the full support of the Counsel. Among other things, her father had also attempted, and failed, to reinstate arranged marriages. Her mother had been the one to spearhead its outlaw some years prior to Elise's birth. This little fact had been something she kept from Sonic.

"I wouldn't worry about it overmuch. Ever since mom died and we intervened with Solaris he… hasn't been keeping himself well with the Counsel." She finally admitted while holding herself. This fact was hard to finally voice. He was her father. She loved him and knew that, in his own way, he loved her dearly but this madness needed to stop. "It's something I need to take care of on my end."

Their eyes caught and in that gaze her mate understood. With that simple statement she was taking up her mantel. She would begin the process of becoming Empress of Sea-Shore, potentially usurping her own flesh and blood. What that exactly meant for him he couldn't say. He would have to be content to let her go for the time being. And, if she needed him in any way, he would be there.

In the meantime, he figured he and Shadow would continue to salvage the wreckage of Ivo's carrier. Maybe they could attempt to release all the souls trapped from the holocaust. Ivo!

"Elise?"

The woman perked slightly from his drastic decent in tone.

"Do you know -did you see- what happened after you…"

"The ship crashed into mount Corine. Is that what you mean?"

"Ivo went back inside. When we checked it over we didn't see any sign of him -if there even would be a sign. I mean, that whole mountain is gone now. Is there any way he could have survived?"

"I… don't know. Solaris has shown me some vague visions of a robotized anthrope and a sense that Ivo is somehow controlling it. So, I would think he must be in some way, somehow."

That statement wasn't a comforting one. That man would never die. He was damn near immortal! Maybe the incident would at least calm things for a bit. Whenever the genius was halted in his tracks after some big scheme there was a decent stretch of peace for well deserved R&R by the Freedom Fighters. It was always a gamble how long they lasted. Sonic, though he couldn't sense the future the same as Elise, did feel as if something significant had befallen or was about to.

Shadow and Maria said their goodbyes soon after, going to be off by themselves and officially get reacquainted. It had been far too long. Elise wanted to have them stay at the manor but, as things were, it would not have been wise. She still felt awfully cruel in not doing so and promised herself to make it up to them as soon as possible.

Sonic stayed. He didn't give a crap what her father thought and, while he wouldn't voice it out loud, wanted to defy the man for nearly giving both of them a stroke. Winter, of course, was more than thrilled at this after she awoke. The room was locked up tight, balcony and all, before all three snuggled under the covers. It was a good thing the bed was king-sized, allowing the near two hundred pound baby to wrap around her parents protectively. Tomorrow was another day, another beginning to another story.

- **AUTHOR'S NOTES-**

Up until this point in the series Shadow and Sonic have a somewhat strained relationship. Sonic, as always is generally laid back. Shadow had always been of the mindset to avoid him. This is because of the event that was mentioned at the beginning of the previous chapter. When Sonic confronted Shadow of his broodiness over Maria, and Shadow explained, the two wound up having a fairly large and detrimental argument. Sonic was pretty much anti-human at the time, due to Ivo and what happened with Sally. As well as the fact that, in Knothole, where he grew up, there were no humans and the species as a whole was viewed by anthropes as evil. Sonic, being young at the time, had this mentality imprinted on him. And then, when Ivo took over, it pretty much solidified. As he traveled the world and matured this thinking slowly subsided. At the time this confrontation happened, Sonic had not met Elise or formed deep bonds with any humans. So when Shadow mentioned he and Maria were mates he took it as a literal joke, which resulted in Shadow pretty much loathing him.

The events of this story finally have them becoming more on friendly terms. Sonic's horrid distress over having witnessed Elise almost die brings up sympathy from Shadow who, as we know, had to go through something similar. There is also the hospital scene that, again, hits home.

When Elise's mother was killed an anthrope was blamed. Though proven innocent, the incident brought up a lot of malice towards the species which caused a mass exodus of them from Sea-Shore.

Also, after this fic the 'New Age Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog Season 4: Heart' pretty much draws to a close. After this the only fic left is "Beginning of the End" before the events of 'Season 5: Future' begin. Even so, every season is pock-marked with One Shots. So, while I say that is the last fic, it may only be so in the sense that it is the last major one of the season (having 3 or more chapters).

There are seven seasons, of course. I always write seven of everything when it comes to STH. If anyone cares they are, in order:

1: Past (the ARK - Chaos and Tikal)

2: Beginnings (Archie - Underground - STH 1/2/3/CD/OVA)

3: Adventure (SA 1/2 - Shadow the Hedgehog - Sonic X (the final season))

4: Heart (Sonic the Hedgehog 2006)

5: Future (Main cast settles down)

6: Apocalypse (Children of the main cast)

7: Revival (Very distant future events)

Nothing from Revival has ever been written, though I do have notes and time line info for it. Honestly, it's the only season that I don't entirely care too much for -oddly enough.

Fun fact: The majority of this chapter was written while listening to the instrumental version of 'Lullaby for a Princess' by Ponyphonic. Honestly, I'm not a big MLP fan at all. However, I will admit the musical pieces created by fans are breathtaking. The one mentioned and 'Gypsy Bard' are two of my favorites.


End file.
